The volume opens by tracing visual science from the ancient Greeks to the early 20th century, highlighting the evolution of our understanding of perspective and stereoscopic vision.
A detailed analysis covers how disruptions during these critical periods—such as strabismus (crossed eyes) or monocular deprivation—can lead to permanent defects like amblyopia (lazy eye) or a total loss of stereoscopic vision.
The text follows the visual signal from the eye through the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN) to the visual cortex. It pays specific attention to the columnar organization of the cortex, which is specialized for depth-related processing. Perceiving in Depth Volume 1 Basic Mechanisms
A significant portion of the work is dedicated to the anatomy and physiology of the primate visual system.
The book emphasizes "experience-dependent" neural plasticity—the idea that the brain's visual circuits must be "tuned" by environmental stimuli during early development to function correctly. The volume opens by tracing visual science from
Howard details historical display systems like panoramas, peepshows, and the invention of the stereoscope, which first allowed humans to artificially simulate depth.
Howard provides a comprehensive review of how depth perception matures from the embryonic stage to post-natal life. It pays specific attention to the columnar organization
Howard explores how the brain translates raw light signals into meaningful geometric representations of space.